Brake arrangement.



W. Ck HEDGCOCK. BRAKE ARRANGMENT..

APPLICATION FILED lIULY 21.1917. l Patent-ed Nov.v 5, 1918.

WILLIAM C. HEDGCOCK, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR .TO' AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

BRAKE ARRANGEMENT.

Specification of Letters'atent.

lPatented Nov. 5, 1918.

Application filed J'uly 21, 1917. Serial No. 181,939.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. HEDG- CoGK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake Arrangements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brake arrangements.

One of the objects of the invention is to improve the manner of fulcrurning or anchoring the dead lever of a brake rigging.

Another object is to maintain in a. novel mannerl the dead lever and its associated parts in proper alinement.

Another object is to provide a brake arrangement adapted to meet the various requirements for successful commercial operation.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing in'brake mechanism, the combination of a truck member, `a dead brake lever, a live brake lever, and a member con.- nected to said dead brake lever and having a guide opening to receive said live brake lever and being anchored to said truck member for transmitting thrust to the latter.

The invention is illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is a ,fragmentary side-elevation, parts being in section, of brake mechanism embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view' ot' the same; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation.

The various novel features ot' the invention will be apparent from the following de scription and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference being had to the drawings it will be secu that I have provided a truck member l() carried by wheels 11, only one Vof which is shown, and. having an opening between columns 12 in which is movably mounted a truck bolster 13. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 ot the drawings, it will be noted that in this particular instance brake beams 14 are mounted upon opposite sides otl each pair ot wheels and carry brake heads 15 having shoes 16 which arc cngageable with the wheel 11. The lower end ot' a live brake lever 17 is pivotally connectcd to a fulcrum member lhf connected to one of the brake beams 14, and the lower end of a dead brake lever 19 is 'pivotally connected to a fulcrum member 20. which is connected to the other brakebeamlll. These brake levers 17 and 19are pivotally connected to a .rod 21 Awhich forms a connection between the brake levers. To the upper end of the live brake lever 17 is pivotally connected a rod 22 which connects the live brake lever 17'` with further units oi' the brake mechanism. The upper end of the dead brake lever 19 is pivotally connected by a pin 23 to a compression rod 24 which has a biturcated jaw portion 25 forming a guide opening, which embraces opposite sides of the live lever 1-7. This compression rod 2l thereby carries the thrust from the dead brake lever 19 past the live lever 17 to a suitable bracket 26 mounted on some suitable portion of the truck. In this particular instance'the bracket 26 is on the truck bolster 13.

A bracket 27 is attached to one extremity of the truck frame 1t), and has a depending tongue 2S which passes down between the jaws 29 formed at one extremity ot' the-rod 21. It will be noted that the dead lever lf) is pivotall y connected to the rod '21 between its jaws 2f), and due to the tact that the tongue 28 of l'n'acket 2T also passes through the jaws 29 of rod 21, the dead brake. lever V19 is maintained in vertical alinement and at the same time prevents the compression rod 24 from movingl laterally. lt will be appreciated that the jaws 29 may optionally be either on rod 21 or on the rod In either case the tongue 2S of the bracket 27 will engagewith said jaws for accomplishing the functions mentioned. It will be apparent also that instead otprovidingl either ot' thc rods 21 0r 24 with jaws', the bracket 2T may be provided with jaws lo receive therebetween the rods 21 or 24, which rods in such case would form the tongue member.. By providing the rod 24 with an opening or with spaced jaws 25 which pass on either side ot .the live brake lever 17, means is provided t'or assisting in maintaining the various parts of the brake mechanism in proper vertical alincis undesirable for any reason to anchor or fnlcrum the dead lever 19 on the extreme end of the truck frame. that by use of the arrangement herein shown and described, the anchoring thrust is transmitted to a more convenient point. This undesirabilitv of anchoring to the end ot thi truck trame may be occasioned by the tear of throwing;` too heavy a stress on the truck trame at such a point, or by clearance conditions preventing the application of a bracket of suiiicient Strength or proper design to the truck. frame.

By means of the pivotal connections between the rod 2li and dead brake lever 1?, and between said rod and the bolster bracket 26, the truck bolster 155 is permitted a freeipvvard and doivnivard movement on its springs without in any ivay hamper-ing 0r interfering with the operation of the brake.

1t is apparent that there may be various modifications of the invention as herein particularly shoivn and (,lescrilied, and it is my intention to cover all such modificationsl which do not involve a departure from the spirit and'scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

1. In brake mechanism, the combination of a truck member, a plurality of brake levers, a member connected to one of said brake levers and havinga j fnide opening' to receive another of said brake levers and being anchored to said truck member "for t-ransmittinfz thrust to the latter, and means associated with one of, Said brake levers for maintaining the same in vertical alinement.

'2. ln brake mechanism, the combination of a truck member, a'dead brake lever, a live brake lever, a -member connected to Said dead brake lever and having a guide opening to receive said live brake lever to prevent lateral movement of said member and being anchored to said truck member for transmitting thrust to the latter, and guide means associated with the dead brake lever for maintaining the same in vertical alinement.

3. In brake mechanism, the combination of a. truck member, a dead brrlle lever, a live brake lever, a rod pivotally connected to each of said levers and connecting the same, another rod connected to the dead brake lever and having javvs on opposite sides of the live brake lever to prevent lateral movement of said second rod, and being connected to said truck member tor transmitting thrust thereto, and guide means operatively connected with one of said rods for maintain,

inn' said levers in vertical alinement.

Je In brake mechanism, the combination ot' a .truck bolster, a plurality of brake levers, and a member pivotally connected to one of said brake levers and having a guide opening for receiving the other brake lever and being pivotally connected to said truck bolster to provide free upward and downward niovement o'i the truck bolster.

Signed at Chicago, State of lllinois, this' 18th day ot July, A. D. 1917.

ll'llLLlAM C. HEDGCOCK. 

